Cherries: Rofe excited to be joining 'progressive' club (From Bournemouth Echo)

Cherries: Rofe excited to be joining 'progressive' club

7:00am Tuesday 19th June 2012 in Sport By Neil Perrett

NEWLY-appointed Cherries coach Dennis Rofe believes he is joining a progressive management team in Paul Groves and Shaun Brooks.

Rofe, who occupied various capacities on the backroom staff at Southampton, was unveiled officially by Cherries yesterday – as revealed exclusively by the Daily Echo.

The 62-year-old made around 550 appearances for Orient, Leicester, Chelsea and Southampton and will bring a wealth of experience.

Rofe, who has given up a post with the Football League to join Cherries, becomes the third addition to the management team this month.

He told the club website: “I am delighted to be able to take up the job. It came out of the blue but I have always had a healthy respect for Bournemouth and, when I was at Southampton, we formed a good relationship with the club.

“Paul and Shaun are both forward thinking. Paul was manager of the youth team when I went to have a look at them last season and he is a very knowledgeable man and I would like to think we can get the players into a good shape for the start of the season.

“I will be looking at the squad and speaking to Paul about the players. It is a new challenge for me and I have got to come in and get accustomed to the players pretty quickly but I don’t see that as an issue.

“I will come in with a completely open mind on every player.”

Rofe will be alongside Groves and assistant Brooks when Cherries kick off the new League One campaign with a trip to south coast rivals Portsmouth on Saturday, August 18.

Groves, who was once on the coaching staff at Fratton Park, said: “It is a fixture I believe the supporters would have been looking out for first with Portsmouth being in such close proximity to Bournemouth.

“There is a rivalry there and I think it is a fantastic fixture and one that heightens the excitement of the beginning of the season.”